AMRAAM FIRST

17 January, 2006

SOURCE: Flight International

A Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado F3 has carried out the UK’s first test firing of Raytheon’s AIM-120C5 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile in support of an ongoing upgrade to the interceptor. An F3 flying at supersonic speed fired two of the weapons against subsonic targets during the December trials, which took place over the US Navy’s Point Mugu range in California. The AIM-120C5 will enter UK service with the Tornado F3 later this year and will also arm the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoon.